At the heart of this research is the desire to understand the "gas content and star-formation properties of galaxies" and how these characteristics are influenced by their movement through different regions of space. Rudnick explains, "The primary objective of this project is to comprehend the impact of environmental factors on the transformation of galaxies." This study acknowledges that galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe. Instead, they cluster in groups ranging from tens to thousands, form part of vast filamentary structures, or exist in isolation in less dense regions.
Historically, research predominantly compared galaxies in dense clusters and groups to those in sparse areas, known as "the field." However, Rudnick's team aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the filaments, the 'superhighways' that guide galaxies into these clusters, profoundly affecting their evolutionary journey. "Galaxies follow a path into these filaments, experiencing a dense environment for the first time before progressing into groups and clusters," Rudnick describes. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of how galaxies initially encounter dense environments and their behavior in the most common regions, like filaments and groups.
A crucial aspect of the study involves examining how these varying cosmic neighborhoods influence the baryon cycle - the process governing the behavior of gases within and around galaxies, crucial for star formation. The NSF-funded project aligns with the Astro2020 Decadal survey's emphasis on understanding the baryon cycle as a key scientific topic for this decade. Rudnick elaborates on the cycle's significance, describing galaxies as "baryon processing engines" that transform intergalactic gas into stars, with a portion of this gas being expelled back into space.
The research team, including graduate students like Kim Conger and undergraduates at the University of Kansas, along with co-primary investigator Rose Finn, professor of physics and astronomy at Siena College, will utilize various astronomical datasets, including DESI Legacy Survey, WISE, and GALEX imaging of around 14,000 galaxies. New observations will also be conducted using Siena College's 0.7-m Planewave telescope, equipped with a custom filter funded by the grant, allowing KU students to observe remotely.
In addition to its academic contributions, the project has a strong focus on community engagement. It extends Rudnick's previous efforts to integrate university-level astronomy coursework into secondary education. The grant supports the continuation and expansion of high school programs in both Kansas and New Jersey, including a newly founded astronomy class affiliated with Siena College and the existing course at Lawrence High School near KU's campus. This initiative, which previously earned Rudnick a Community Engaged Scholarship Award from KU in 2020, will now benefit from enhanced resources, including 11 MacBook Pros for student research activities.
The University of Kansas and its collaborators are poised to make significant strides in understanding the complexities of galaxy evolution within the cosmic web, while simultaneously enriching the educational experiences of both university and high school students. This comprehensive approach not only advances scientific knowledge but also fosters a broader appreciation and understanding of astronomy among future generations.
Full Caption: A computer simulation of what the gas and stars in a galaxy cluster look like, highlighting how clusters of galaxies are embedded in cosmic web of filaments. In the color images, the intensity and color of the image represent the density and temperature of the gas. These figures show successive zooms onto a galaxy embedded in a filament. Going counterclockwise from the top right, the scale bars represent lengths of 3.3 million light years, 3.3 million light years, 330 thousand light years, 33 thousand light years. The image at lower right shows the stars in the galaxies in this simulated cluster, with the scale bar corresponding to 330 thousand light years. The WISESize program will use observations to measure the spatial distribution of gas and stars in galaxies as they move through the cosmic web that permeates the nearby universe. By comparing to simulations such as those shown here, Rudnick and collaborators will be able to determine how the cosmic web alters galaxies.
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